Synopsis: Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for seeing a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom. – from Amazon.com

I always think it is a treat when an author performs the audiobook version of their own work because you can get a feel for how they hoped to portray the characters on the page. Federle brings across the exuberance, hopefulness, and nervousness of Nate’s character as he embarks on what becomes a journey of major ups, downs, and even some other surprises along the way. I had a laugh out loud at Nate’s internal voice telling him to stop talking when he knew he was starting to ramble – and I’m sure other readers will identify with this part of Nate’s character as well. It was hard not to root for Nate as he is going through the audition process, which seems somewhat nerve-wracking when you consider the sheer number of people in the casting office – some of whom he is competing with. I also had to admire Nate’s starry-eyed view of New York and the way he instantly falls in love with the city even though Kristin Chenoweth is not at the Greyhound station to welcome him with a song. I absolutely loved everything about this audiobook and would recommend it to anyone with big hopes and dreams to help encourage them.